Troweling machine for concrete or other plastic material



Nov. 4, 1930. J. E. KIRKHAM 1,780,427

TROWELING MACHINE FOR CONCRETE OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL Filed June 22,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH E. KIRKHAM FIG.8

A TTORNEY.

Nov. 4, 1930. J. E. KIRKHAM 1,780,427

TROWELING MACHINE FOR CONCRETE OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL Filed June 22,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -|Il I I l I I I I I I l I l l III III Q MillINVENTOR. JOSEPH E. KIRKHA M A TTORNEY.

20' to be laid.

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j JosErH E. KIRKHAM,or TOPEKA, KANSAS Application filed. June 22,

My invention relates to a troweling machine for concrete or otherplastic material.

The object of my invention is to provide a troweling means for plasticconcrete,the said means agitating the mass during the process offloating or troweling to a true and finished surface, eliminatinglongitudinal and transverse waves; a

A'further object of my invention is to provide a seriesof adjustablefloats or trowels carried by a frame supported by forms, by which meansthe finished surface of the concrete may be crowned, or finished instraight alignment horizontally or inclined.

A still further object of myinvention is to provide a troweling meanspower actuated in such a way that the floats or trowels will function inany sequence, the reciprocating motion being longitudinal with the massor road A still further object of my invention is to provide a series offloats or trowels parallel to longitudinal axis of the roadandpositioned in close proximity, but working independent of each'otherin their reciprocating movement.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained,reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, wherein like characters will apply to like partsthroughout the different vlews.

Briefly referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of themechanism, showingits position on a fragmentary length of concrete roadbed;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, the road bed and forms being in crosssection. I

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4 is a view of'the cam shaft. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of oneof the float or trowel members.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed cross-sectional view. 7 Fig. 7 is anenlarged end view of thecam shaft.

Fig. 8 is a top view, the shaftobeing broken away.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of thesector and its connectionto theframe. Fig.

1928. Serial No. 287,476.

10 illustrates the manner in which the lever actuated bar is hinged tothe frame.

My invention herein disclosed consists of a plurality of float or trowelmembers 1 pendently supported on a frame 2 by means hereinafterdescribed, the frame being mounted on wheels S, the said wheels beingflanged and adapted to rotatably engage along track members l, the saidtrack members functioning as forms for concrete 5 poured therebetweenand brought to a uniform surface by the action of the trowels, .ashereinafter described.

As a power actuating means, I have positioned on the said frame anengine 6 as means to convey the mechanism along the track and actuatingmeans for the reciprocation of the trowels simultaneously or independentof the travel along the track. The engine is equipped with theusualcontrolling means to govern, a clutch, transmission, and driving means,the position of the transmission being shown at 7, and the driving meansat 8, the latter being connected to a rearwardly positioned drive shaft9 the said shaft having flanged wheels 3 rigidly attached to the outerends. thereof. The forward portion of the frame is carried on theshaft'lO having similar wheels securely attached to the outer endsthereof.

As a means to convey the mechanism along the track, a worm 11 issecurely attached to the outer end of the drive shaft 12, the worm beingin mesh with a worm gear 13, the worm and its respective gear beinghoused as shown by dot-ted lines 14.

As an operating means for the forward movement of the trowelsalternately, I have trunnioned a shaft 15 to the front member of theframe 2; and adjustably arranged on the shaft is a pluralityof cammembers 16, by which means the trowel members are driven forward throughthe medium of a pendent supporting means consisting of a sleeve 17carried by a hinge member 18, the said member being rigidly attached tothe front member of the frame, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. Axiallypositioned in the sleeve is a rod 19 having threads on the opposite endsto engage :nuts 20 as longitudinal adjusting means there- 1 for, thenuts'tlghtly engaging on the1r respective ends of the sleeve, by whichmeans the trowel members are raised and lowered. It will be understoodthat the said shaft is pivotally connected to the trowel, as shown at21. The rear end of the trowels are pendently supported in a similarway, but are positioned to engage snugly against the ver-. tical side ofan intermediate beam member 2, the said member being carried by the endmembers of the frame respectively.

By the arrangement andpositio'n of the latter mentioned pendentsupports, the trowels are driven forward as the frame is conveyed, butadvanced insequence by the cam shaft rotation heretofore described, therotation of said shaft being actuated through the medium of a shaft 22having a beveled gear 28 on the inner end thereof in mesh with a beveledgear 24 securely attached to the engine drive shaft 12. The shaft 22 istrunnioned to a beam 25 in bearings shown at 26. On the outer end of theshaft is a sprocket wheel, 27having a sprocket chain 28 in meshtherewith, the chain also being in mesh with a sprocket wheel 29, thelast said sprocket wheel being firmly attached to the outer end of thesaid cam shaft. f

It is now readily seen how the rotation of the cam shaft is actuatedindependent of the forward travel of the machine, this beingaccomplished by disengaging the shaft at the tr; nsmission 7, untilallof the trowels have been moved forward; then by advancing the machine,the trowels not in contact with their respective cams willbe free toretract; It will be understoodthat the trowel members will retract bygravity when driven forward as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, thetrowels being raised from contact with the surface of the concrete.

As a means to elevate the trowels simultaneously, a bar 30longitudinally extending from near one end to the opposite end ishingedly connected to the intermediate frame member 2, as shown'in F ig;6 and Fig. 10; and to rock the bar forward, a lever 31 is attachedthereto, and when rocked downward as shown by dotted lines the outeredge of the bar will frictionally engage against the sleeve members,holding them forward, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The lever,when driven downward, will engage with a stop 32 as securing meanstherefor, the said stop being integral with a sector 3.3, the sectorbeing rigidly attached to the frame member 2 and being so arranged, thelever will spring as it passes thereover.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

In preparing to lay concrete on a highway or other place, the earth orsub-grade on which the concrete is to be laid is brought to a uniformsurface and cross-section required. Forms are then placed on each sideof the roadbed for three purposes: first, to align and close the sideswhile the concrete is being poured; second, as a governing means for thedepth of the slab; and third, as a track for the wheels of the machine.As the concrete is poured, the machine, through the agency of the motorcarried thereby, is driven along the rails or forms; and during the timeoftravel the trowels are driven forward in sequence. At each swing ofthe trowels, they are raised slightly from the surface, by whichmeansthe aggregate concrete is worked to a ui'iifor'm and smoothsurface. The forward ends of the trowels, being vertically positioned,will carry the surplus concrete before them, as shown at A in Fig. 3, bywhich means voids or low places in the concrete will be filled. To avoidthe concrete passing be tween the vertically positioned ends in theirr'ec'i'p'rocations, a web B is provided on each side of said verticalportion.

It will be understood that the machine, while standin g still, maycontinue to reciprocate the trowels, each member thereof retracting bymeans of gravity. This arrangement is found very useful should theaggregate partially set or become rather dry in its mixture. Theagitation of the trowels at all times tends to cause the fluid in theconcrete to rise, carrying with it the cement. Therefore, the surface isrendered more smooth than it would otherwise be. 7

Such modifications maybe employed as lie within the scope of theappended claims.

Having fully described my inventiomwhat I claimas new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: i

1. In a troweling machine for concrete and otheriplasticomaterial, amachine of the'kind described, comprising a rectangular frame and wheelsto carry the same, a plurality of longitudinal trowels each having anupward eXtensiona-t its forward end, two rods threadedattheir ends andplivotally connected to each trowel, sleeves hinged to the frame andarranged to accommodate the said rods, means to adjust and lock the rodsto the sleevesand means to reciprocate the trowels.

2. In a troweling machine for concrete and other plastic material, arectangular frame having a pair of wheelsto carry the front side thereofand a pair of wheels connected by a shaft for the rear side, the framehaving an'eng'ine positioned thereon and means to drive the shaft topropel the machine, a shaft rotatably carried by the frame and having aplurality of cams spaced therealong, 'ineans to rotate the shaft, aplurality of trowel-s pendantly positioned on the frame and engaging theroad material, the cams engagmg the pendant supporting means of thetrowels for reciprocation of the'latter, means to disengage thesupporting means of the trewels' from th'ecams. 1

3. In a troweling machine for concrete and other plastic'material, amachine of the kind described having a frame and wheels ascarrying meanstherefor, a plurality of trowels connected to the frame by adjustablependant supporting means comprising threaded rods pivotally connected tothe trowels and positioned in sleeves pivotally connected to the frame,there being a front and a rear set of said means, a bar hingedlyconnected to the frame and a lever as rocking means therefor, the bar toengage on the rear set of pendent supporting means to move the trowelsforward and upward, rendering them inactive while the machine is beingtransported.

In testimony whereof I affix-my signature.

JOSEPH E. KIRKHAM.

